Nigerian man jailed for obstructing immigration Officers, romance scam

The Madina District Court has sentenced Jacob Sunday, a 30-year-old Nigerian national, to 24 months imprisonment with hard labour for obstructing immigration officers in the discharge of their lawful duties.

Sunday was also convicted for engaging in a romance scam and failing to register as a foreign national with the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) after entering the country through an unauthorised border point.

He pleaded guilty to all charges — including obstruction of immigration officers, engaging in prohibited cyber activities (romance scam or Yahoo-Yahoo), and failure to register with immigration authorities within three months of entry. The court, presided over by Madam Susanna Nyarkotey, convicted him on his own plea.

Upon completion of his jail term, Sunday will be deported to Nigeria.

According to the prosecution, led by Inspector of Immigration Jerry Foster Segbefia, the convict was arrested on August 28, 2025, at Kasoa Ofankor by a team of immigration officers from the Kasoa Command during a routine inspection of residences and workplaces occupied by foreign nationals.

During the operation, Sunday physically obstructed the officers, challenging their authority and attempting to prevent them from checking his residence permit. Armed with a cutlass, he tried to stop the officers but was overpowered and arrested.

He was later referred to the National Enforcement Department at GIS Headquarters for further investigation.

Investigations established that Sunday entered Ghana unlawfully in 2021, through an unapproved route near the Aflao border, and had never registered with immigration authorities as required under Ghanaian law.

It was also discovered that he had lured two compatriots, Audu Omoh and Audu Ojor, to Ghana and trained them to operate romance scams online, posing as potential partners to unsuspecting victims. The proceeds from the fraudulent schemes were collected by Sunday, who acted as the ringleader.

In his cautioned statement, Sunday admitted to engaging in cyber-related fraud activities.

Before sentencing, the prosecution urged the court to impose a custodial sentence, arguing that the offence was a serious threat to law enforcement and public safety. Inspector Segbefia stressed that such actions undermine national security and must be deterred.

The court agreed, handing down a two-year custodial sentence with hard labour, followed by deportation to Nigeria upon completion of the term.